Crate



July 7, 1931. F. RITZMAN ET AL 1,812,900

CRATE Filed 18. 1,928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 iqi'rap/vsx 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. RITZMAN ET AL CRATE Filed Aug. 18, 1928 July 7, 1931.

wag/vfa/pa' M A rrap/vgv July 7, 1931 F. RITZMAN ET AL 1,812,900

CRATE Filed g- 18. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 //vu/v 7-0429.

ATTOP/VEI/ y 1931- QF.RITZMAN ET AL 1,812,900

CRATE Filed 8. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 arr-apnea July 7, 1931. F. RITZMAN ET AL 1,312,900

CRATE Filed Aug. 18, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 V Patented July 7, 1931 R r 'm N. m' r mnnmrzmsr, for cam-m rumors onn'rn Application filed-August -18, 1928. -'Se ria1-No.'300,463.

This invention relates to improvements in animal and poultry crates and its; object is tosprovide-a crate that is compactinrassemb ly of sturdy construction, durable-and efiicient in operation, inexpensive to manufacture and that is easily handled by one -man forifa ny ofvits purposes;

:Wi t'l1'-'Jtl1e foregoing and other obj e'ctsin view: the invention consi'stsfin the combina- 1o tioni and arrangement ofnpar-Ttswto be hereinafter fully described,-: pointed out in the 7 claims and. illustrated in theaccompany ing drawings which" form, aapart of. this a hc tionfforip atent and in which?- fkF-ig '1 is'fa view-of the crate-in side: elevationl Fig. 2 .is. an iedgevview of alpartitionemployed. I V

- Fig. i 3 :is .a (fragmentary {View 1 of the front end of thecrate showing 'acalfftherein, drinking froma pailf i ETFig 4-Lisa: view'fin;side elevationwof: the breeding-bed. v

-Fig 5 is a fragmentary topyplanviewof the crate; Fig.- ;6 is a fragmentary view: Of one side of the i-cratecshowing'an. animal: held in position for castration. Fig: 7 .isa vertical flongitudinal sectionalview of; the crate showing it ready. to receive poultry. or for like 1303 purpose; Fig. 8 :is a-afragmentary sectional view of the crateshowing aisow retained therein. in :breeding'position.

-I Fig. 9 is a fragmentary I sectional view of the-crate. FigmlOiis aview of aifork or'standard t0 whieh a'leverissecured. a

a" Fig. '11 is i a: f-ragmentaryplamview 0f i:'F-ig. 12 is a top plan-view of E-ig; 4.

Figs, 13 and 14: are opposite end views i of the crate. y

1 Fig. '15 is an enlarged tragmentaryxseo tional-view-of the crate.

" F-ig.' 16 is a fragmentary end view-in elevation, of the crate, showing the breeding-bed in position and the headstock at one end of the crate partly open.

fEigi is an enlarged vertical central sectional viewof'thecrate, 510i :1 -'Figs.i=18 and-19 aresections taken (respecti7vely on @the lines 18-1 and 19 19 of Fig. 1

,'Li-k-e reference characters denote corresponding partsithroughout the several views.

:The present crate :is capable of; a variety of uses. :It is designed asapoultry shipping cratexinawhich capacity it is provided with agpluralityof partitions,;;as a hog or calf crate,- at which; time the; partitions are removed; asahog, sheep orlamb stock to hold the animalsslngly while they are being marked,;-ringed 1or;,f or other purpose,- as a breedinghouse'for hogs and in this capacity 1t 1s providedqwith: a-remorable bed to support :thebody of thean-imal; andas a stock r in; which to hold the hind legsof an animal While beingcastrated.

' The-crate comprisesa permanent floor-or base, permanent side slats, removable end doors or gates,partiti0ns,androof Or tOP a removableheadstock, apermanent and ad,- justable leg stock- -and a removable breeding bed. The dramework or-bodywportion of the crate-comprisesthe front corner posts 2,rear

corner posts 1, the base-or floor3, the longis tudinally q-extending; side pieces 4 resting upon said base and' connecting the front and rear-corner "posts; the .slats '5, the central vertical side braces 1 6 that ,are connected by across brace 6a extending beneath the base, an'dend erosspieces. that connect the corner posts. at each end of the crate andreceive the ends of the base. 3.

The. front corner posts are recessed to receivetheends of the spaced transverse pieces 1 8,--asare also the rear corner posts, each pair of Icr0ss-pieces18 together with itspair of corner posts forming a guide frame that receives an end gate9- or :10, said gatesbeing readily removable from the crate and in Op- 99 erati've position running in the vertical re- I ccsses '11 jin-the corner posts, the recess 11 ingfthe rear-corner posts being intercepted by the relatively wide spaced transversely extending recesses 12, said recesses 12 being formed between the side slats 5 to receivezthe removable longitudinally extending partitions 13 each of which is formed atvits four corners with-the notches 14 and with-the m0 transverse cleats 15.

, removed, the notches in said partitions riding againstthe vertically recessed inner corners of the front corner posts, the partltlons being notched at all corners to make them revers1- ble, that is, so that either end'of the partition may be introduced 'first at the rear end of the crate.

Spaced cleats 16 connecting the rear corner posts lie upon the base 3 and form a" sill,

the space between said cleats receiving the lower end of the rear gate when 1n position, similar cleats 1'? connecting the front corner posts and forming a front sill receive the lower end of the front end gate when it is in closed position.

"Interchangeably received, with the front end gate, in thevertically recessed faces ofthe front corner posts are theriser-18' and the head stock'members 19, 20, the member 19- being received upon said riser, said'meinber-19- being formed along-its top edge with an arcuate recess 21 adapted to cooperate with a like recess 22 in the member 20,- as shown in Figs. 13 and 3. The riser 18 is not shownin Fig.1?) because it is employed only when the head stock is to'be raised above its "normal position, shownv iniFig. 13, to receive the head of a calf 20a confined in the crate while feeding or for other purpose. It is frequently difiicult to wean a calf and teach him to drink from a pail or the like but by securing a pail 20b of milk, by anail or support 200, to the member 19 of the headstock outside the'crate while the calf is held therein he will finally discover the purpose of the milk pail and learn to drinkofits contents and at the same'time he is prevented i from overturning the pail etc. .1 Interchangeably secured to either of the front corner posts is a fork 23 that serves as a fulcrum for the operating lever 24 that'is connected to the lift bar 25 that engages the head stock member 20 to traise and lower the'same to free or detain, inzcooperation with. the member 19, the head oftheanimal. 4 r

The lever 24,.fork 23, bar 25- and member QO'are connected together bypins 26'atthe end :of chains 27, said1lift bar 25 being releasably locked, together with the member 20, inadjusted position to the crate,1in like manner, so that the members 19, 20 may be adjusted relatively as desired. r i

cross piece 29 and having one endof'each sloping downwardly and provided with the: IGZLPQBClIO'f the crate, the platforms being formed with laterally extending-flanges that ride 1n the lowest pair of t'ransverserecesses far end thereof.

12 and then over the top edges of the side pieces 4, the bed when completely disposed inside the crate extending from its rear sill 16 to its front sill 17 the front end of the" upon the two platforms 28' and she is in a breeding position. The member 20 of the head stock isprovided with cleats 32 which are disposed inside the crate when the stock isin-assembledposition- The crate isprovided with a we which is of a width to fit snugly between the topmost slats ofthe crate sides, said top being provided with the transverse cleats 34." The and pin 27, 26 carried by each cleat 34: being,

adapted to secure the top to'perforatedi'portions of the cross pieces 8 andto the tops-of the end gates thus securely looking all :of

said members in assembled position. '3

At each end of a topmost slat 5 at oneiside of the crate is a buckle 35, said'buckles'receiving the ends of the strap 36-that 'is securedby clamp 37; to the side brace 6,"saidi strap passing through the:guidez rings"38, spaced apart, and pivotally secured to* the.

topmost slat 5, said strap formingloops or bulged portions 39, spaced apart, to receive the hind legs of an animal such asa hogzor sheep, 39a, his front legs resting upon"one of the partitions 13 which'has been inserted in the crate, or on the crate floor, the top 33 of the crate having been previously removed; The strap 36 is now tightened upon the -legs of the animal to hold it secure when it may be castrated, the operation being performed without danger of injury to the animal and with the leastdifliculty. t0 the surgeon or operator. When the crate is usedjto. ship hogs, pigs, sheep-or like animals the partitions are removed and the top securedin positionwith the end gates in closed position. A breedlng bedfor hogs comprlsmg two spaced elevated platforms 28 connected by a- The animal :is then securely caged or crated without cramping it or depriving it of air-or subjecting it tov inconvenience of any kind. In shipping poultrythe partitions are inserted to form tiers for two or more stories of fowl. f

; What-is claimed is 2- 1. In a crate, a body portion, end gates re.-.

movably carried thereby, and a breeding bed removably carried by said bodyportion, said breeding. bed comprising spaced connected WVith the head stock open her head, is placed therein and. the stock closed; "The "body of the animal will rest platforms slidably engaging with the sides of the body portion, said platforms having one inclined stepped end each.

2. In a crate, a body portion having side slats, end gates removably carried by said body portion, and a breeding bed removably carried by said body portion, said bed comprising spaced connected flanged platforms, the flanges thereof riding over the edges of said slats, said platforms each having one inclined end provided with steps.

3. In a crate, a body portion, end gates removably carried thereby, and a breeding bed provided With spaced platforms removably carried by said body portion, said breeding bed having an inclined portion provided With steps.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our oWn'We have hereto afliXed our. signatures.

FRANK RITZMAN. DONALD RITZMAN. 

